Essentials of Overhead

The Essentials of Overhead Diving Course expands upon the skills learned in previous recreational/technical courses in order to prepare you for overhead diving. You will begin by developing the core techniques required for any type of diving and environment – precise buoyancy control, a perfect horizontal trim position, and multiple non-silting propulsion techniques. We will then expand upon your personal and team skills, such as proper air sharing procedures, team protocols, gas planning, ascent strategies, guideline usage, and much more. The goals of this course are to develop your personal and team skills all while emphasizing line awareness giving you a strong foundation so that diving is effortless and fun. For divers who have been trained in a conventional diving program, this class will introduce new techniques, configurations, and in-water skills, which will bridge the gap between conventional courses and the challenging Unified Team Diving curriculum. Whether you are a new diver or a seasoned veteran, your overhead environment diving will become safer, effortless, and more fun simply by incorporating these skills and diving practices.

Beyond personal skill development, Essentials of Overhead also lays the groundwork for future overhead classes like Overhead Protocols, Cave 1 and 2, or Wreck 1 and 2. Many students without the foundational skills learned in this course struggle with overhead environment skills.

**If you have taken and successfully completed an Essentials of Rec/Tech/ or Overhead course or equivalent and are interested in a "Sidemount Upgrade" please visit the Sidemount Mini Course on the technical specialties page.

The sidemount version of Essentials of Overhead Diving is for students wishing to pursue overhead diving in a sidemount configuration. This course is the starting point for all students who do not have experience in technical diving and that do not have experience in sidemount diving. Essentials of Overhead Diving - Sidemount is the same course as the Essentials of Overhead Diving class but teaches the student all of the sidemount skills as well. The Essentials of Overhead Diving Course expands upon the skills learned in previous recreational/technical courses in order to prepare you for overhead diving. You will begin by developing the core techniques required for any type of diving and environment – precise buoyancy control, a perfect horizontal trim position, and multiple non-silting propulsion techniques. We will then expand upon your personal and team skills, such as proper air sharing procedures, team protocols, gas planning, ascent strategies, guideline usage, and much more. The goals of this course are to develop your personal and team skills all while emphasizing line awareness giving you a strong foundation so that diving is effortless and fun. For divers who have been trained in a conventional diving program, this class will introduce new techniques, configurations, and in-water skills, which will bridge the gap between conventional courses and the challenging Unified Team Diving curriculum. Whether you are a new diver or a seasoned veteran, your overhead environment diving will become safer, effortless, and more fun simply by incorporating these skills and diving practices. Beyond personal skill development, Sidemount - Essentials of Overhead also lays the groundwork for future overhead classes like Overhead Protocols, Cave 1 and 2, or Wreck 1 and 2. Many students without the foundational skills learned in this course struggle with overhead environment skills. This course combines lecture, in-water training sessions (pool and open water), dry runs, and video debriefings.